


The Littlest Overwatch

by starrylizard



Series: Jack Junior [3]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fever, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt Angus Macgyver (Macgyver 2016), Hurt/Comfort, Jack Junior verse, Kid Fic, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, kid!jack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:15:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27667336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrylizard/pseuds/starrylizard
Summary: A day in the life of JJ and Mac as they navigate their new normal. (Part of the Jack Junior verse.)
Relationships: Jack Dalton & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Series: Jack Junior [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1910533
Comments: 22
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Flinging this out in time for the MacGyver Fluff Challenge deadline.

“Mac!”

The Small cry woke him immediately. Not that Mac had ever been a heavy sleeper, but there was some paternal part of him that seemed to always be on high alert now. He was out of bed and stumbling barefoot down the hall to JJ’s room before he was really awake.

“Hey, buddy,” Mac murmured, as he slipped into the night-light illuminated room. “Hey, you’re okay, you’re okay.”

“Mac?” The kid’s voice was small and sad and accompanied by a sniffle. JJ was sitting up, his plush horse gripped in one hand as he held his arms out for comfort.

Mac sat on the bed and opened his own arms, immediately gaining a child-shaped limpet. JJ was sweating and breathing hard, teary face pushed into Mac’s t-shirt.

“You were gone, Mac. I couldn’t find you.” JJ stuttered the words out as Mac stroked his fingers across JJ’s back and through dark sweaty hair.

“No, I’m right here, kiddo. Always here. Just a nightmare,” Mac soothed.

It was the same every night and Mac was starting to wonder why he put JJ to bed in his own room when he woke up with him every morning anyway; either squished into JJ’s single or sprawled across his own double.

“It’s okay, Hoss,” JJ babbled to his plush horse, stroking his mohawk mane as Mac continued to soothe him. “We’re okay. Mac’s okay.”

JJ didn’t like to be separated from Mac. And, given the role adult Jack played in Mac’s life until recently, the separation anxiety made some real sense. The psychologist at Phoenix was used to dealing with PTSD, depression and anxiety, all of which Jack has surely had at some point, but no one was really equipped for this. They could only play it by ear.

“Want to talk about it?” Mac asked, though he knew the answer.

“Nooo.” The answer was a whine, like the idea was painful. “No, there was a fire and we were running and . . .” JJ muttered something more as he buried his face into Mac’s shirt and squeezed his little arms tightly about Mac’s waist.

It was always different but the same. Always vaguely recognisable, like he was remembering a mission from before he was a kid, but not really. The way memories warped and twisted when your mind tried to make sense of things. And it made Mac sure the adult memories were in there, somewhere, buried deep. As much as he loved Jack, he hoped they stayed buried for JJ’s sake.

Right now, Mac was done with JJ waking up scared. They’d just be co-dependent if it meant sleeping wasn’t a battle. Heck, it was the running joke that they were co-dependent when Jack was his overwatch anyway. Why stop now when he was so vulnerable? When he needed him?

Mac picked up his kid (the fake paperwork had been secured today and he could say that now), still startled as always at how light he was, and wandered back to his own room. He rubbed a soothing hand over JJ’s back as he went. 

As he laid down on his back JJ came with him, sprawled on top of him, chest to chest. Half his little body and one small leg was thrown across Mac’s side and Mac could feel both Hoss’ mohawk mane and JJ’s soft hair tickling his chin with each breath.

JJ shuffled and squirmed as he slowly calmed down. His breathing slowing, even as he pushed himself up now and then to look at Mac and reach a hand up to his face as if checking he were real. Mac had found the behaviour disturbing at first, but several weeks later this was just a weirdly heartbreaking routine. Mac had learned if he stayed quiet, rubbed circles into the kid’s back, JJ would settle eventually. His breathing would even out and then his body would go limp and heavy and Mac would follow him down into sleep.

ooooo

Mac awoke to a poking sensation at his ribs. He grunted and pried his eyes open to find JJ squirming about next to him. Maybe an elbow was the culprit of the rib poke. Mac wasn’t sure since JJ could poke in many ways. His musings were derailed as JJ thwapped Mac across the chest with a rather large stretch that sent his small arms sprawling out as far as they could go.

Honestly, the kid seemed to take as long as Mac himself to wake up. Cogs slowly whirring up until. . . big brown eyes blinked open and then JJ brought his fists up to scrub at his face as he frowned at the injustice of the bright sunlight streaming through the edges of the blinds.

“Morning Jackaroo,” Mac greeted and then yawned widely. He cleared his throat gently, hoping the tickle he felt there this morning was nothing more than thirst.

JJ squirmed until his head rested on Mac’s chest right above his heart. He looked about ready to go back to sleep, but he wouldn’t. Once JJ was awake, he was awake. Mac was the same. Trying to slip back into sleep was always a pointless exercise. Still, it was nice to lie still for a moment and make plans for the day.

Mac stroked a hand through JJ’s unruly mop of hair. Mac liked to twist and pull on his own hair when he was concentrating and he’d quickly found that twisting a few strands of JJ’s hair was just as meditative. The kid had a lot of silky soft hair and JJ didn’t mind, seemed to find it soothing even, at least in calm moments like these.

“Mac?” JJ asked, not moving at all from his comfy position.

“Mmm?” Mac asked, still lost in thought and the simple repetitive motion of his fingers.

“Do you smell pancakes?”

Mac inhaled noisily and JJ giggled. Mac couldn’t smell pancakes yet, but there was the distinct clunk of cupboards and gentle clank of pots that indicated Bozer was already up and getting busy in the kitchen.

“I don’t know. Why don’t you go and ask Boze what he’s making?”

With that, there was a flurry of movement and another accidental elbow to the ribs, as JJ was up and running excitedly down the hallway. Mac smiled and stretched out across the bed in an imitation of JJ’s earlier move as he listened to the eager queries from JJ and the happy responses from Bozer. Those two were already bonded at the stomach.

By the time Mac stumbled toward the kitchen himself, stomach grumbling, there was the undeniable scent of pancakes wafting through the house.

“Morning Mac,” Bozer greeted.

Mac gave a small wave, taking in the scene. JJ was perched in his usual spot on the bench, feet swinging and already munching on the test pancake with a happy grin. It hadn’t been too long ago that Mac would have already been up after barely having slept himself. Now, just a few weeks since JJ came into being, it seemed Bozer was often up, dressed and making breakfast before Mac even stumbled out of bed.

After the events at the Eternal Laboratories, they’d slowly settled into a routine at Mac’s house. JJ was there to stay for the foreseeable future and Mac refused to have it any other way. One look at Mac’s face and Matty’s attempts to keep him on full-time as an asset were quashed. Mac was shuffled to part-time mission support and think tank duties, and Riley set him up to work from home.

On one hand absolutely everything had changed. But on the other hand, it already felt like things had always been this way. It was an odd feeling, missing someone and having them right there at the same time.

Bozer added more mix to the pan and JJ watched with big fascinated eyes. Food was always on JJ’s mind and Bozer made it into a deliberately fun spectacle.

“What’s on the agenda today, little man,” Bozer asked, as he expertly flipped the last pancake and then added it to the growing pile.

“Umm,” JJ’s face scrunched up. “I think we’re building the treehouse more,” he guessed.

“Is that right?” Bozer turned to Mac with a grin on his face.

“We can do that,” Mac agreed easily. “But first, we have to get dressed and ready. Phil’s coming by this morning, remember?”

“Oh, okay.” JJ nodded seriously. He liked Phil, or Mac was sure he’d be pouting right now.

They still wanted to monitor JJ’s health and try to figure out what happened in that lab. Both his welfare and scientific curiosity were driving them forward. There was no telling what the process might have done to him or what could happen in the long-term. But bringing JJ into Phoenix Medical constantly wasn’t going to work for JJ or Mac. They’d gone back in several times in that first week, but JJ shook like a leaf the whole time they were there. Although he’d apologised to Dr Willis, clutching anxiously onto Mac as he did, he was still clearly unhappy to be around the man.

Mac hit on a solution when he bumped into Phil coming out of the Phoenix buildings. Phil was delighted to see JJ was healthy and doing well and they’d struck up a conversation about how he was back on local exfil duties because he’d just become a dad. Phoenix had been more than happy to make JJ part of Phil’s regular duties.

Mac set out plates and toppings and silverware on the kitchen bench and Bozer, Mac and JJ ate right there on the tall kitchen stools. As JJ clambered up onto one, Mac couldn’t help but hover just behind him in case he fell.

JJ completely drenched his pancakes in maple syrup and then let Mac add some banana slices before practically inhaling the sticky mess in delight.

“What’s on for you today?” Mac asked Bozer.

“Mostly lab stuff. It’ll be a nice change of pace,” Bozer stated with a genuinely relaxed grin.

Mac knew Boze preferred the lab these days, but Riley and Cage had been on non-stop missions since Jack and Mac were out of the rotation and Bozer had been helping Matty run the war room. Mac nodded and smiled at his friend. It still floored him how well Bozer had settled into the spy life after their rocky start. As Boze wiped his mouth on a napkin and set his plate in the sink, Mac stopped him from doing any more.   
  


“We’ll clean up, Boze. Only fair when we rely on your cooking most days.”

Boze nodded, the routine becoming a familiar one for him also. He squeezed Mac’s shoulder and then ruffled JJs hair, avoiding the kid’s sticky fingers expertly as he passed their side of the bench to grab his bag. 

“Hey Mac,” Bozer added quietly. “Take it easy today, yeah. You’re looking a bit pale,” and with no chance for Mac to even reply he headed out the door.

Mac turned to see concerned brown eyes looking up at him from under furrowed eyebrows.

“I’m fine JJ. Boze is imagining things.” Mac sighed and ruffled the kid’s hair, before scrubbing a hand across his face. He knew Jack wouldn’t have let it go, but JJ just frowned deeper and then nodded slightly. “Come on, let’s get cleaned up.”

ooooo

It seemed to take longer than usual to get scrubbed up and ready. JJ, usually full of uncontainable energy, kept side-eying Mac. His suddenly quiet and conscientious way of doing things just seemed to slow it all down.

Mac was shaving quickly, JJ standing on a step stool brushing his teeth, slowly, next to him, when the doorbell rang. JJ suddenly spat and rinsed at lightening speed and yelled, “I’ll get it” as he took off with his usual energy toward the front door.

Mac was hot on his heels. “Check who it is before you . . .” Mac huffed as he saw the door was already open and the lanky Japanese-American medic had knelt down to high five JJ. “. . .open the door,” Mac finished on a quiet sigh.

Strangers at the door wasn’t something Mac had ever worried about for himself, but his own experiences had taught him that it was definitely a good thing to be concerned about and that worry was now added to the list of anxieties he had since he became JJ’s guardian.

“Hey Junior, how’s things?” Phil asked, bringing his gaze up to take in Mac who was still scrubbing at his face with a towel.

“We’re good, Phil. Bit slow to get ready this morning. Living room is all yours. I’ll put on a new pot of coffee.”

Phil nodded his thanks as JJ took his hand and lead him into the living room. Despite his love of Phil, JJ was rarely this exuberant about a health check-up, but Mac wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. They had agreed a few check-ups prior that Mac and his hovering were no longer required. JJ liked Phil and he seemed to get a kick out of acting adult around him, even when it involved blood glucose testing, so Mac hung out in the kitchen in visual range and started to clean up from breakfast.

Plates all stashed in the dishwasher and bench cleaned, Mac leaned tiredly against the counter waiting for the coffee to percolate. He cracked his neck and gently cleared his still scratchy throat. He watched with a gentle smile as JJ and Phil high fived and JJ picked a green lollypop from Phil’s stash.

Phil started to stand up, ruffling JJs hair gently, but JJ pulled at his sleeve and Phil knelt back down as JJ murmured something too quietly for Mac to hear. There was an exchange, Phil’s tone placating but not dismissive as he placed a consoling hand on JJs shoulder.

Part of Mac wanted desperately to ask what the little exchange was about, but he also wanted JJ to have his privacy and Phil wasn’t about to keep anything important from Mac or the Phoenix Foundation. Mac turned instead, getting two mugs from the cupboard and pouring the coffee as Phil stood again and this time happily moved to the counter and accepted one of the mugs.

“All okay?” Mac asked.

“Yeah, he’s perfectly healthy. Numbers are all still good.” Phil sipped on his coffee and sighed contentedly. “I never thought I’d be doing house calls on Phoenix’s dime. They may never get me back onto full-time exfil duty.”

Mac slumped a little further onto the bench, always relieved to have good news. “How’s the new baby?” Mac asked.

Phil’s face lit up with a dopey smile. “She’s beautiful, man. I mean I could take an IV of this coffee and still be sleep deprived. Even the army doesn’t prepare you for a baby’s sleep cycle, but I’m so in love, Mac. It’s indescribable.”

Mac grinned back, his eyes tracking form Phil and over to JJ where he was watching the TV and sucking on the lollypop, and back. “Yeah. I bet it’s a big change. I’m glad it’s all going well.”

“Hey, not to pry, but you look a little tired, Mac. JJ seemed worried about you. Everything okay?” Phil shrugged a little, but at least Mac knew what the exchange between JJ and Phil had been about now. He’d also be surprised if Matty hadn’t made it part of Phil’s job description to keep tabs on Mac as well.

“Yeah, might be getting a cold or something. Bozer mentioned it this morning and JJ has been watching me like a hawk since,” Mac admitted. Looking across to JJ again, he saw his big brown eyes were on him. Sprung, the kid turned back to the TV as if he hadn’t been watching Mac.

Phil huffed a small laugh as he watched the quiet exchange. “He’s a good kid. He was your overwatch for a long time, before . . .” He left the question hanging with another small shrug.

“Yeah.” Mac didn’t have any way to succinctly describe the current situation either. “We’re working on it.”

“Well, I should be going.” Phil handed the empty mug back to Mac. “But as always, call me if either of you need anything.”

“Yeah, man, thanks!”

“See ya, J-man,” Phil called out and JJ waved an enthusiastic goodbye as Mac showed him out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Mac gathered his tools and they headed out into the morning sun and their partially built treehouse. Staring up, Mac could see the completed base of the little house, the wooden flooring nestled in and around the large oak tree they’d picked out together.

With no walls yet in place, Mac had rigged JJ a harness to wear during treehouse building time. His head had spun with all the many ways JJ could fall if he wasn’t tethered somehow. The kid was rarely still. The first time JJ put on the harness, just as cocky about heights as his older self had been and clearly feeling safe in Mac’s make-shift design, the kid had simply walked to the very edge of the structure and leaned out as he stared down at the ground, declaring:

“I’m not afraid of heights like you, Mac. You need one too.”

If Mac were being honest, the kid was entirely correct. Just watching JJ get that close to the edge had given Mac vertigo and he’d backed himself tightly into the tree trunk and breathed slowly until JJ had come back to his side and stared up into his face, with a simple “see?” that felt way too knowing.

Today, Mac was wearing one too. No improvisation required, just his rock-climbing equipment repurposed slightly. He had his tool belt settled on top. JJ had tugged at Mac’s harness, almost as if testing its fit and then just grinned smugly, before scrambling up the ladder at top speed. Mac followed more sedately behind him, but JJ was waiting patiently for Mac to hook him on to the safety line when he reached the top.

Today, rather than helping Mac with the build, JJ had found a new game to occupy himself with. He settled in and just sat for stretches at a time watching Mac and making reports on his walkie on the progress of the build and anything else that took his fancy. The walkie wasn’t turned on today. With Bozer not at home, there was no one to actually report to.

It should have seemed weird, but the only thing weird about it was how familiar it felt to Mac. If he closed his eyes, it was almost as if he were on a mission or scoping out an IED. At such times, Jack’s voice and his running commentary had been a welcome distraction; checking in any time Mac seemed to pause, reading his body language from a carefully decided distance. Standing watch.

Mac mentally shook himself, realising that at some point JJ had gone quiet. His running commentary of how many nails and boards Mac had hammered in now, where the windows should go for best line of sight to the house, whether they could make a zipline to the house, and if Hoss also needed a harness or whether he’d be safe once they finished building . . . had at some point paused and Mac hadn’t noticed right away.

He realised he was sitting, hammer held loosely, lost in his memories. As he forced himself back to the present, he felt a warm, but small, hand settle on his forehead. JJ was leaning in against his side with a familiar worried furrow to his eyebrows that just didn’t sit right with Mac.

Mac caught the small hand, bringing it down gently as he swallowed hard against the feeling of razor blades that was now lodged in his throat.

“Hey, pal. Sorry I zoned out on you there. I was just thinking. What were you saying?” His voice was a little rougher than usual when he spoke, and the cough he couldn’t hold in after speaking probably undid the calming tone he was trying to convey.

“I think we should blow this popsicle stand and get some drinks inside.” JJ’s voice didn’t hold the slightest hint of humour, yet Mac couldn’t help but chuckle at the very familiar, if unexpected, turn of phrase.

“Blow this popsicle stand, huh?” He asked.

“Yeah, people who are sick need rest and fluids,” JJ stated very sincerely.

“Did Phil tell you that?” Mac asked. “It’s okay if he did,” he added as JJ shuffled his feet looking guilty.

“Yeah,” he confirmed quietly, still looking at his shoes as he scuffed at the floor boards.

Mac huffed a gentle sigh and ruffled the kid’s thick dark hair, pulling JJ into a one-armed hug. “Well, I could definitely use a cold drink, kiddo.” Mac breathed the words into the dark mop of hair. “Let’s say we blow joint and find ourselves one.”

It was more effort than Mac liked to admit to stand back up and climb down to the ground.

Ooooo

It was close to lunch anyway, so they drank cold drinks and ate ham and cheese sandwiches (no cooking required). Then they settled on the couch watching a kid’s science documentary on cable that had a lot of colourful chemistry explosions.

JJ was watching avidly, because it was admittedly very cool, but also because Mac had agreed to repeat whichever experiment was his favourite out in the backyard someday soon. So far, the hot, steamy foam produced from the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide catalysed by iodide ions had got the most intense reaction from the kid, so Mac was laying bets on that one.

The last thing Mac remembered before dozing off was the host of the show enthusiastically explaining the science of a thermite reaction on top of a large chunk of ice.

He awoke sometime later under the blanket that usually lived over the back of the couch. JJ was curled into his side passively and another documentary was playing on the same channel. Something about space and travelling to Mars. It was cosy and moving would only disturb JJ who seemed comfortable. Mac promptly fell back to sleep.

Ooooo

Phil Sato was just settling his baby in her cot when his cell buzzed quietly in his pocket. He carefully backed out of the room, hoping not to disturb the newborn as he fished the phone out of his pocket and hit the call answer button on the touch screen.

“Hey, Mac. What can I do for you, man?”

He gestured quietly to his wife that their daughter was asleep and headed toward the other room for privacy. He could hear breathing on the line, but no one answered him.

“Mac, everything okay?”

_“Phil?”_

The voice on the line was not MacGyver’s and Phil stopped in his tracks suddenly on alert for any background noises or other clues. Years of running exfils had trained him to take in as much information as possible as soon as possible.

“J-ster is that you, man? Are you okay?” Phil kept his voice calm.

_“Yeah, it’s me. You said I could call the number on your card.”_ JJ’s voice was unsure, anxious sounding, his words a little breathless.

“Yeah of course you can, kiddo. Are you okay? Is Mac okay?” Phil carefully moved back toward the front room, still listening intensely as he searched for his car keys.

_“I’m okay. Mac’s sleeping.”_

Sleeping could be anything on a spectrum from innocent to passed out or worse, especially coming from a 5-year-old and Phil’s spidey senses ramped up a notch.

“He’s sleeping, huh. Can you wake him up and put him on the line for a minute, please?”

His wife appeared quietly with a concerned look on her face, perhaps hearing the change in his tone of voice. As she listened, she fished around in the bowl on the counter by the door and came up with his keys. He accepted them with a grateful nod.

_“You said sick people need sleep.”_

He had said that. Well, rest and fluids. But right now, he really needed to know Mac was okay. He’d seemed fine this morning.

_“Annnd, he’s been sleeping a lot,”_ JJ continued and Phil’s heart gave a small flip.

“Well, if you just put him on for a minute, then he can go right back to sleep. I promise it won’t take long.”

_“M-kay.”_ The kid sounded unsure, but there was rustling and movement on the other end of the line.

Phil gestured to his wife and toward the garage with an anxiously apologetic frown, and she shooed him out mouthing _‘of course, go!’_. He dashed to the car as he waited anxiously for Mac’s voice, setting his phone into its cradle on the dash and switching to the car’s Bluetooth just as he heard murmuring too low for him to make out words, but clearly two voices.

Phil breathed a deep sigh of relief.

_“Hello,”_ Mac’s deep, clearly congested and somewhat confused voice came clearly through the car speakers. _“Sorry, who am I talking to?”_

“Hey Mac, it’s Phil here. JJ called. He seemed . . . concerned. You okay there?”

_“Yeah,”_ Mac coughed suddenly. When he spoke again, he sounded even raspier than before. _“Just a cold. No need to worry. It just hit me like a tonne of bricks after lunch. Fell asleep in front of the TV. We’re fine. No need to worry yourself.”_

“I’m on my way over, Mac.” Phil heard Mac start to protest and added, “It’s protocol.” It was an out and out lie, but he was certain Matty would back him up. He’d never met their Director before taking on this special assignment, but she’d been very explicit about Mac falling under his watchful eye as much as JJ.

Mac groaned aloud, likely more embarrassed than anything, and Phil heard JJ saying something. Then JJ was back on the phone saying, _“You can sleep again now, Mac. I’ll talk to Phil._ ” There was more murmuring near to, but not into the phone.

Phil smiled sadly at the kid’s concerned tone. He imagined Mac had the same expression on his own face right now. If Mac had been sleeping since lunch, but he didn’t seem to have realised yet that it was now closer to dinner time, then he must have slept pretty hard. With the way he was so careful to watch over JJ, that was out of character to say the least.

Phil stepped on the gas, driving easily 10-15 miles over the speed limit where the traffic allowed it. He had no doubt The Phoenix would take care of any speeding fines he racked up, same as any exfil situation.

JJ came back on the phone and they kept up a quiet conversation the whole drive over, and JJ kept watch over Mac and updated Phil.

Ooooo

Mac groaned as his brain tried for consciousness and instantly regretted it. The groan alerted him to the fact that his throat apparently had a razor blade stuck in it. Stretching out under the covers, his muscles ached, his skin felt hot and tight and he was pretty sure he’d been breathing through his mouth for some hours because his nose was definitely no longer functional from a breathing perspective.

How he was under the covers was a mystery though. Mac swore he’d fallen asleep on the couch watching TV with JJ. And, he might have slept hard, but . . . Mac blinked open his eyes, wincing at the light that escaped the edge of the blinds. He was definitely in his own bed now. His heart gave a panicked flutter.

“JJ?” he croaked out the words, followed by a cough.

“Mmm?” The small voice came from the bed and Mac looked down to see his kid curled up against him. JJ blinked sleepily up at him and grinned. “Hey Mac. Are you better yet? You rested lots, just like Phil said you’re supposed ta.”

Without waiting for an answer, JJ popped up and took off at a run yelling, “Boze, he’s awake again.”

Mac stretched once more and then pushed himself up on the pillows, still trying to engage his sleepy brain. The room spun a little, so he settled against the headboard and closed his eyes, deep in thought.

He could definitely remember waking up several time on the couch, each time to a different kid’s science documentary. He’d talked to someone on the phone. Phil? But why? He remembered getting up after the phone call, noting several hours had passed on the kitchen clock, but how had he gone from the couch to the bed?

“Hey, Mac. Your little overwatch tells me you’re awake. How do you feel? You hungry? I made soup.”

Mac opened his eyes again at Bozer’s voice. His best friend was leaning on the doorjamb, looking like he sympathised with whatever Mac was going through. JJ peered in from behind him looking at Mac with big eyes, Hoss the horse was tucked under one arm. Bozer tucked kid and plush horse under his arm and squeezed them both tight. 

“Hey, Boze. How did I . . .?” Mac indicated the room and himself with a gesture. An empty saline bag was hanging nearby and now that he checked, he could see the mark in the crook of his arm where the IV had been attached sometime recently.

Bozer squinted his eyes at him, coming further into the room to perch on the wicker chair that lived at the foot of Mac’s bed. JJ stayed near the door, still looking in with a carefully curious expression.

“You don’t remember, man?” Bozer asked.

“I remember Phil calling. It’s a bit hazy after that,” Mac admitted. He scratched at his sweaty bed hair with a grimace.

“JJ called Phil. Turned out it was a good thing too. I was held up at the office until late and whatever nasty-ass flu you’ve picked up did a number on you. You spiked a fever and Phil peeled you off the floor and hooked you up, so to speak.” Bozer pointed to the empty IV and then shrugged gently. “He phoned the Phoenix, updated Matty, and I came home to keep an eye on you both. And here we are. You’ve been awake here and there. I guess it didn’t make an impression on you though.”

Mac closed his eyes in horrified embarrassment. “I am never living this one down, am I?”

“Hey it’s cool, man. It’s not like you’re at the office much these days anyway.” Bozer chuckled gently as he teased. “I’ll go get you that soup. Riley popped by earlier with the meds Phil ordered for you, and you may as well take them with some food.” 

Bozer pushed up off the wicker chair, but Mac stopped him with a gesture.

“How long was I out, Boze?” he asked. There were still several questions running through his mind, but that seemed the most pertinent.

“It’s morning. You’ve been some version of asleep since lunch time yesterday, if JJ’s account is correct. It’s good to see you really awake, man.”

As Bozer left, JJ trotted back into the room and bounced onto the bed, handing Hoss to Mac. He immediately snuggled back into Mac’s side, and Mac squeezed him tight and settled Hoss against his other side.

“I hear you were a big help today, Jack Junior.” Mac stated softly.

JJ nodded his head and sighed, but otherwise didn’t speak.

“Hey, I’ll be alright, you know, kid,” Mac murmured. “Thanks for being my overwatch.”

Even though the tables were turned these days and it was Mac’s job to look out for JJ, he couldn’t help but see the Jack of old was still in there somewhere. Looking out for him. Watching out for others was in Jack’s DNA, no matter what form he was in or age he appeared.

JJ was standing watch and Mac didn’t mind as much as he thought he should. Where Jack would have probably dragged him to medical, JJ somehow brought medical to him. It was smart and Mac couldn’t help feeling proud.

“You did good, Jackaroo,” Mac muttered, as his eyes slipped closed again and he settled back into the mattress with a sigh.

He couldn’t help but think, sappy as it sounded and despite all the strange things that had happened lately, that he was a pretty lucky man. He was comfy in his bed, with his family standing watch.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Cutiesonthehorizon, AnguishMacgyver, ImpossiblePluto and CommanderBunnBunn for reading bits of this and poking me onward, and Team Alpaca for listening to me whine.


End file.
